Grape extracts get GRAS

22-Jul-2010 - Last updated on 23-Jul-2010 at 11:54 GMT

Two Californian ingredient suppliers this week announced that their antioxidant grape extract ingredients have received GRAS affirmation, opening up their use in food and beverage products marketed for heart health.

Both companies – Ethical Naturals and Cyvex Nutrition – have said the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status of their grape ingredients is self-affirmed. Neither firm has said it has plans to apply for non-objection from the Food and Drug Administration.

Both companies are marketing their ingredients for their overall antioxidant benefits, and specifically for their heart health properties.

Ethical Naturals

The San Anselmo, California, -based firm said its Orac-15m grape extract is standardized to contain 80 percent polyphenols and 15,000 orac units/g.

According to Ethical Natural’s director of R&D Lora Xiong, the ingredient is made from the skin, seed and pulp of grapes, which all work synergistically to provide “all the benefits associated with whole grape extracts and grape polyphenols”.

Orac-15m has until now been used in supplement applications, and in some beverages marketed as dietary supplements, the firm told NutraIngredients-USA.com.

The GRAS status now means it can be used in a number of functional beverage applications, including: non-carbonated fruit juices; fruit-flavored beverages (both fluid and dry mixes); and carbonated fruit-flavored beverages. GRAS applies when the ingredient is used at a level of 0.089 percent (equivalent to 3000 orac unit) per 8 fl oz serving.

Orac-15m comes in powder form and is said to be highly soluble, with a very mild flavor and color profile. The company said that it tests all batches of the product to conform to USP pesticide screen/standard, to ensure no pesticide residues are present in the grape extract.

Cyvex Nutrition

Based in Irvine, California, Cyvex Nutrition said the GRAS applies to two grape ingredients: BioVin, which is made from the entire grape, including pulp, skin and seeds; and BioVin 20, which is made only from grape skin.

Both ingredients come in powder form. BioVin, which has a recommended dosage of 100-300mg per day, is said to contain 50 percent OPCs (proanthocyanidins), while BioVin 20 contains 20 percent polyphenols.

“BioVin is a full spectrum grape extract manufactured from whole red wine grapes from the Rhone Valley in France. By using the grape in its entirety - including stems, seeds and skin - all the beneficial phytochemicals can be extracted including anthocyanidins, proanthocyanidins, trans-resveratrol and polyphenols,” said Cyvex.

The firm did not provide a break-down of applications that the ingredients can be used in, but told NutraIngredients-USA.com that the GRAS affirmation means they are suitable for “all types of functional foods and beverages.”